


Love in the Form of Soap Suds

by Preciadology



Category: South Park
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Clyde drags Craig to come with him to a North Park fundraiser, M/M, This is my piece for the book of love zine volume 2!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 10:15:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20307826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Preciadology/pseuds/Preciadology
Summary: In which Craig thinks it's super important to have a clean car.





	Love in the Form of Soap Suds

“Ladies! My ride needs some cleaning up. Mind helping me with that?”

Craig groaned internally. It was going to be a long half hour.

They were at a fundraiser car wash hosted by the North Park cheerleaders. And as expected_ , _Clyde wanted to drive to the next town to try and flirt with them. By bribing Craig with two months worth of English homework, Clyde had convinced him to come with so he wouldn’t be “alone like a loser.” And hey, free English homework for the price of getting intense secondhand embarrassment? Craig could handle it. Or at least he thought. 

Hearing Clyde speak was making him think otherwise.

The two girls Clyde hollered at shared a look before walking over to them. The blonde with curly hair tied into a ponytail spoke. “Hey, I know you. You’re from South Park High.”

“Oh!” Clyde exclaimed, surprised. Quickly, he found his cool and his face changed into a smug grin. “So, I’m pretty popular around here, huh?”

“Yeah, you’re that loser from the YouTube video! Remember him, Nichole? The one who got pantsed at prom!” she pointed out, stifling laughter.

“Bebe!” the other girl, Nichole, scolded, smacking her friend on the shoulder lightly.

Clyde’s face turned beet red. “C-can everyone let that go already?! It’s been a_ year _!”

And of _ course _ Clyde picked the worst way to respond. 

This was probably when it was going to start getting worse so Craig covered his ears and tried to tune them out. He looked away and out of his window. Scanning the place, he vaguely recognized everyone working was a North Park cheerleader. He sat there, just watching the scene for a while. Until his eyes caught onto one not-so-familiar face.

A short blond guy stood washing the car next to Clyde’s. Unlike the others, he wasn’t in a tank top and tiny shorts. He was wearing a large shirt he had tied to the side to fit him better and rolled up pants that were to his knees. He looked out of place but in a good way. And Craig, mouth hung open slightly, found it extremely difficult to take his eyes off him. Who _ was _that?

Craig managed to rip his eyes away to look for either of the cheerleaders washing Clyde’s car. It looked like Clyde was gone, probably out trying his luck with the other girls. Once Craig spotted Nichole, working by the backseat window, he rolled his window down and called her attention. “Uh...hey.”

She turned to Craig, brows raised. “...Hi?”

“D-do you, um…who’s that?” Craig asked, pointing at the blond boy.

“Oh, him?” Nichole asked, glancing where Craig gestured. “That’s Tweek. Not enough girls wanted to help so he was nice enough to lend a hand!” 

He nodded idly and rolled the window back up.

_ Tweek _. Tweek Tweek Tweek. He couldn’t stop staring at him the whole time. And he couldn’t keep that pretty face off his mind after they left.

— — —

As soon as Clyde dropped him off at home, Craig grabbed his keys, started his car and went right back to the car wash.

As he backed up to Tweek’s lane, Craig was admittedly a little nervous. But it was fine! Totally fine! There was an extremely cute guy waiting for him but that was nothing to be _ nervous _ about. In fact, he was _ pumped _ to talk to Tweek. He was gonna charm the shit out of him. He was gonna be so smooth he’d be _ begging _Craig to date him.

Once he parked, he rolled down his window. And in the suavest voice he could muster, Craig looked at Tweek and made his completely cool and debonair introduction. 

“H-hey, Tweek. Um, uh...c-can I- you...a- a wash?”

…Okay.

Craig winced. Well, that went fucking awful.

Blond brows raised. “Uh...sure! But, wait...how’d you know my name?”

Craig’s brain seized into panic mode. Shit. _ Shit _. If he told him the truth, he might think it was creepy. He had to think of something. Fast. “I...guessed?”

Tweek looked offended. “You could..._ guess _ my name’s _ Tweek _?”

Craig wished the ground would swallow him whole.

He opened his mouth to speak but couldn’t find words that could’ve possibly made that situation better. He smiled awkwardly, the embarrassment paining him so bad all he could do was slowly roll the window back up. Tweek exchanged a look with the girl beside him and shrugged. Then, they got to work, dousing Craig’s car in water and soap.

Yeah, that didn’t go so well.

— — —

This time around, Craig felt more confident.

He couldn’t leave Tweek thinking he was a dumbass. So, he got the brilliant idea to call his dad at work and ask if he could take his car out to wash, completely free with no catch. Craig was pretty sure his dad could tell something was up but luckily, he accepted the offer anyway.

He was making the turn to park at the car wash. It was a slow hour. There weren’t any customers and everyone was sitting in lawn chairs sipping on lemonade. Craig parked the car and rolled down his window before a handful of girls scrambled to stand and get to him.

“No, um- I want him,” Craig told them, pointing at Tweek. The girls looked to Tweek, whose eyes went wide.

“Me?” Tweek asked, taken aback.

“Y-yeah...you,” Craig stuttered. He needed to get it the fuck together. 

Tweek blinked. “Well...okay.” He turned to the same girl he washed Craig’s car with last time. “Let’s go, Heidi.”

Heidi went in the direction of where the hose was attached. Tweek, meanwhile, grabbed a sponge and bucket and approached the car. This was Craig’s chance.

Tweek reached the car and started scrubbing away. Craig cleared his throat.

“...Hey, I’m sorry for earlier. I probably sounded like a creep,” Craig apologized sheepishly, “But the truth is I got your name from that girl, Nichole. I-I was just wondering what you were doing here, you know, cause I didn’t know North Park had a guy cheerleader.”

“Oh, I’m not a cheerleader! Just helping my friends,” Tweek clarified. “You go to South Park, right? I saw the sticker on your other car.”

“Yeah,” Craig replied. “This isn’t my car, though. It’s my dad’s. I offered to have it washed to help you guys out. You know, with your cause. Which I think is really important, by the way.”

Tweek looked at him confused. “Our... cause? We’re doing this to get funding for new cheer uniforms.”

And Craig felt like a fucking idiot. “Oh! That! I knew that. That’s important. You can’t have, you know, like...holes...in your uniform. That would be...not cool.”

“Right!” Tweek replied, smiling brightly.

All the breath left Craig’s throat with a _ woosh _ . That smile was... _ fuck _ . What a pretty smile. His brain turned into goo. _ Wow _ . Just _ wow _. He had no idea what to do with himself after seeing that. He was in a daze.

“So, you know my name. Do you wanna tell me yours?” Tweek asked.

Still absent-minded, Craig answered. “Me? I’m gay.”

Tweek looked confused. Upon realizing what he just said, Craig’s eyes went wide. “I-I mean- Craig! My name’s Craig! Not gay. I-I mean...I _ am _gay, but that- that’s not my name. It’s Craig! I’m Craig. Um. Hi.”

Tweek giggled, shoulders shaking, hand over his mouth. Craig didn’t even have time to feel intense embarrassment before he felt his heart melt and settle in a puddle in his chest. He could already tell that laugh would be stuck in his head the whole ride home. He just wished Tweek didn’t muffle the sound.

“Hey,” Craig said, voice going soft. “Why do you cover your mouth?”

“...Sorry,” Tweek muttered. He bit his lip, eyes darting away. “I don’t like my laugh.”

“...Well, I do,” Craig replied, offering a shy, nervous smile.

Tweek turned to look at him and a sweet, sincere smile crept onto his face. His round cheeks made his brilliant green eyes squint slightly.

And Craig could feel himself falling in love.

— — —

There was no way to put it that didn’t sound pathetic. Craig came back to the car wash six more times that day.

The first time, he drove all the way out to his grandma and asked for her car. The second time, he thought to take Clyde’s dad’s car. But when Craig got to his house to ask for it, Clyde said he’d already taken it there today. Then, he started pestering Craig to spill who he was seeing at the car wash. Irritated, he slammed the door in Clyde’s face and went to Plan B. Luckily, Token owed him a favor.

(“Let me get this straight. If _ I _ let _ you _ take _ my _car to get washed, I don’t owe you one anymore?”

“Yep.”

“...Huh. Alright. Sounds fair to me.”)

All the other times were from neighbors he _ somehow _ managed to finesse despite not exactly having a good reputation.

It was hectic. At one point, he’d even accidentally left his wallet in the third car while in his fourth. He had to drive all the way back to get it. But he didn’t mind.

To see Tweek? He’d do it all again a thousand times.

Tweek was unlike anyone Craig had ever met. He was kind but not a doormat. Intelligent but not a smartass. Funny but not crude. Sweet but not insincere. Cute but not-

Well, Craig didn’t really have a counter to that.

But that wasn’t the point.

The point was that Craig couldn’t get enough of him. And every time he came back, it only got harder and harder to leave.

— — —

“Tweek, your boyfriend’s here!”

Tweek’s cheeks flushed as he shouted back at Wendy. “Agh! Craig’s not my boyfriend!” 

Wendy was being _ way _ too loud. Craig was right there about to park. What if he heard?! He and Craig weren’t even together! Tweek just had a crush! A massive, enormous, _ monstrous _ crush.

“You know his _name_?! Seriously?!” Wendy exclaimed over the sounds of the car wash. “He doesn’t talk to anyone else here but you. He is _so_ into you.”

“Nghhhhh,” Tweek grumbled, embarrassed and feeling the tips of his ears go warm.

He had no idea why Wendy would think that. Yes, Craig was back for the eighth time today, yes, he let it slip he was gay and yes, he wouldn’t let anyone wash his cars except Tweek, but that didn’t mean Craig _ liked him _ or anything! 

_ Jesus _, what if it actually meant Craig hated him and that’s why he kept making Tweek get up and work?!

Tweek pushed the thought away. That couldn’t be it. He was just a nice guy who wanted to help them.

Craig finished parking in his lane, sitting in an old looking blue car. He rolled the window down like he always did and Tweek had to bite his lip to keep from smiling like a fool. Every time Craig did that, Tweek couldn’t help imagining Craig asking if he could whisk him away from here to go on a romantic date with just the two of them. They’d hold hands, gaze lovingly into each other’s eyes and Craig would drive him home and kiss him under the stars. And eventually, they’d have their happily ever after.

He sighed. But that wasn’t going to happen.

He walked up to Craig, sponge, and bucket in hand.

“Hey,” Craig said in his deep voice that made Tweek’s knees weak. “You know the drill.”

“Yeah, um, about that,” Tweek began. “We’re pretty busy right now and my partner, Heidi, had to leave early. So it’ll just be me this time. I hope that’s okay.”

Tweek bent down to set his bucket on the ground when he heard Craig speak up.

“No, no, no,” Craig said hastily, waving his hand out the window. “I can’t let you do it _ alone _, you’ll get too tired.”

For the first time, Craig opened his car door and climbed out. It immediately became clear to Tweek that Craig was tall. _ Really _ tall. Craig had to be around a foot taller than him. Tweek felt color rush to his cheeks. He had no idea how to process what he was feeling, and he was usually good at that.

“I’ll help you out,” Craig suggested, taking the sponge from Tweek.

Tweek snapped out of his daze. “Wh-what?! But you don’t- you- you can’t!”

“What do you mean? I know how to wash a car, dude,” Craig replied.

Tweek snatched the sponge from Craig’s hand. “I _ mean _ you can’t cause you’re the customer!”

Craig took the sponge back. “Well, the customer’s always right.”

“Wh- but- that’s not-“ Tweek stuttered, struggling to think of a comeback.

Craig raised a single pierced brow, and Tweek gave up, cheeks warm. “...Fine. If you really want to, then, fine.”

Craig smiled triumphantly. They got to work.

— — —

Tweek could feel Wendy’s eyes on him the whole time. He knew what she must’ve been thinking, looking at the two of them, but he couldn’t let that make it awkward.

Who knew washing a car was going to be the most fun he’d have in his life? Craig was so easy and fun to talk to. They never ran out of things to say. Tweek’s cheeks hurt from smiling, his stomach was sore from laughing so much. Every time he’d accidentally brush up against Craig, it felt like leaving his heart at the top of a roller coaster. 

Tweek wanted this _ every _ day. He wanted to see _ Craig every _ day. He wanted to feel like this _ all _ the time.

But it had to end at some point.

The car was clean, dry and ready to go. Now, Tweek just needed to collect the payment. After Craig paid, they’d have all the money they needed and they’d close for good. And that meant Craig couldn’t ever come back.

Craig plucked his wallet from the passenger seat, pulled out a few bills and handed them to Tweek. “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” Tweek said with a small, sad smile. “I-it’s been really fun, um, cleaning your cars.”

Craig smiled warmly back at him and Tweek took it in, trying to memorize the image in his head. They stood there for a while, just looking at each other. 

But Tweek knew the longer this went on, the more hurt he’d be when they had to part. So, with all the will he could muster, he finally spoke. “W-we, uh...I have to go now. We’re closing up. Um...goodbye.”

Tweek turned around and started walking away, heart shattered into a million pieces on the ground. But then, he heard Craig call out to him. “Wait! Tweek!” 

Tweek turned to face him. “Yeah?”

“I-I, um...do you...do you wanna hop in the car and we can, I don’t know...get a burger?” Craig asked. “Like...as a date?”

Tweek paused. “Craig, that’s not funny.” But one look on Craig’s face told him it wasn’t a joke. Everything clicked. “...Oh. You’re...you’re serious.”

“You know, you could’ve just said no,” Craig said solemnly, turning his face away. He looked crushed and Tweek instantly felt awful.

“No! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, that’s not it!” Tweek replied, quickly running back towards Craig. 

He took both of the taller man’s hands and looked up at him, smiling nervously. “I’ll go out with you. Of _ course _ I’ll go out with you.”

Craig looked stunned for a moment. His face softened, beaming, and he laced his fingers with Tweek’s.

“Well, come on!” Tweek said teasingly. “You must be hungry from driving back and forth all day just to see me!”

Craig laughed breathlessly. He let go of Tweek’s hands and walked to the passenger’s side, opening the car door for him. “After you.”

Tweek‘s heart felt full.

They were gonna get their happily ever after after all.  


**Author's Note:**

> I'm pretty sure I'm allowed to post this now so here it is! I wrote this for the Book of Love Zine Volume 2. Hope you enjoyed reading!


End file.
